Maya Volcanic Stone Hacha or Tenon Head, Monkey or Human Form

Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Maya culture. A carved volcanic stone hacha or tenon in the form of a human or monkey head, mounted on a wooden base. A pointed crest runs down the center of the cranium and ends between the drilled eyes, and the head is carved with C-shaped ears and an angular, ridged mouth above a tall columnar neck. Traces of red pigment remain in the eyes and mouth. Monkeys appear frequently in Maya art, where howler monkey deities were associated with writing and the arts. Hachas are thin, axe-shaped stone sculptures linked with the Mesoamerican ballgame, often carved as human, animal, or skull heads. Many have a notch or tang on the back, which suggests they were set into a support or worn as part of a player's gear. Tenons are a different form: carved heads with long, roughly finished shafts that were set into masonry walls, a feature well known from Maya architectural sculpture. The deep, plain neck on this head fits either use. If the subject is a monkey, it belongs to a well-documented strand of Maya imagery. In Classic period art, howler monkey gods appear as scribes and artisans, and the Popol Vuh tells of the brothers Hun Batz and Hun Chuen, skilled in writing, music, and carving, who were turned into monkeys. Item # 205615

Estimate:$800

View all items fromArtemis Fine ArtsorSculptures